Gerald J. Koopmeiners

1943 - 2025

Gerald Jerome Koopmeiners, 82, of Melrose, passed away Sept. 22, 2025, at 10 p.m. with family by his side at Cura of Melrose Care Center in Melrose. He is finally at peace after living with dementia for quite a few years.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Sept. 29 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose with the Rev. Mitchell Bechtold officiating. Interment was in Oak Hill Cemetery with military honors by the Melrose Veterans Honor Guard. People who were active or former military were encouraged to wear their respective uniform to the Mass, which Jerry would have appreciated.
Gerald Jerome Koopmeiners was born March 4, 1943, in St. Francis, Minnesota, to Herman and Florence (Pohlmann) Koopmeiners, the eighth of 11 children. He started his first job in fifth grade, setting pins at the bowling alley, along with his brother Jim. He also worked on the farms of his sisters, Irene and Margie. During high school he worked at Al's Red Owl.
He graduated from Melrose High School in 1961 and joined the Marines in July of that year with basic training at Camp Pendleton. He was enormously proud to be a Marine. He was honorably discharged in 1964.
Gerald married Marjorie Ann Brang Oct. 16, 1965, at St. John's Church in Meire Grove. They lived in Brooklyn Park for several years while he worked for Buckingham Freight Lines, loading trucks. In 1969 after moving back to the Melrose area, he held a variety of jobs over the years to support his family and make ends meet. He worked for Select Sires breeding cows; as a custodian at St. Mary's Catholic School; delivered gas and fuel oil for Loxtercamp Oil, which earned him the "OPEC" nickname; as a truck driver for Jennie-O Foods while he subbed for the post office in Sauk Centre; and, finally, as a full-time rural letter carrier at the Sauk Centre Post Office for the final 20 years of his working life. He enjoyed being a rural letter carrier and would have continued hauling mail if he could have worked only from April to November. He retired at the age of 70 in 2013.
Gerald volunteered in the community throughout his lifetime. He was a 20-year member of the Melrose Fire Department. As a member of St. Mary's Parish he served on the parish council and as an usher at Mass. He served on the Melrose Hospital Board. He was a lifetime member of Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 in Melrose where he served as commander. He was also a union steward for the National Rural Letter Carrier Association. After retirement, he volunteered at the Melrose Food Shelf and at the St. Cloud VA, escorting veterans to their appointments.
Gerald was blessed with the gift of conversation and could talk to nearly anyone, joking around and laughing at his own jokes. He loved attending the activities of his grandchildren, whether a band concert or a sporting event. He enjoyed playing cards, cribbage, gin rummy and was often quite lucky when he played pull tabs. Deer hunting; reading, especially the newspapers; and going for walks with the dog in the woods along the river were other activities he enjoyed.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Marjorie, of Melrose; children Janelle (Michael) Thell of St. Joseph, Michelle (Mark) Ettel of Melrose, Paul (Mary) of Clearwater and Joel (Kirsten) of St. Augusta; grandchildren Nicholas, Benjamin and Elizabeth Thell, Zachary and Ethan Ettel and Tyler Koopmeiners; step-grandchildren Patrick (Aly) Geertsema and Rachel Geertsema; step-great-grandchildren, Max and Broc Geertsema; sister Carol (Allen "Butch") Klaphake; brothers- and sisters-in-law Robert (Carol) Brang, Corrine Blenker and David (Ann) Brang; and many other extended family members.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers and sisters and their spouses Irene (Lawrence) Pohlmann, Elmer, Mary Jane (Albert/Sonny) Austing, Bert (Verlia), Margaret (Gerald) Roering, Florentine (Marcellus/Sal) Roering, James (Cathy), JoAnn (Albin) Zenzen and Joyce; mother- and father-in-law Alphonse and Alvina Brang; brother-in-law Ralph Blenker; and many other relatives and friends.
In lieu of flowers/plants, the family requests donations be made to CentraCare Hospice.
Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.

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